Seating for auditoriums.



H. V. POLLARD.

SEATING FOR AUDITORIUMS.

APPLICATION FILED 15.11.13, 1914.

1,133,500. Patented Mar. 30, 1915.

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H. V. POLLARD.

SEATING FOR AUDITORIUMS. APPLICATION FILED JANJB, 1914 Patented Mar. 30,1915.

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H. V. POLLARD.

SEATING FOR AUDITORIUMS.

APPLICATION FILED JANJS, 1914.

7 1,133,500. Patented Mar.30,1915.

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HENRY V. POLLARD, 0F SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS.

SEATING r03 Anmroarmvrs.

Application filed January 13, 1914.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY V. POLLARD, a citizen of the United States,and resident of Somerville, in the county of MiddleseX and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSeating for Auditoriums, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to auditorium seating composed of chairs groupedto provide aisles at suitable intervals.

The invention has for its object to enable the aisles of an auditoriumto be widened by displacing the end chairs abutting on the aisleswithout materially obstructing the space between contiguous rows ofchairs, and at the same time to provide a construction rendering thedisplaceable chairs commodious and comfortable.

My invention enables a person who has just left an end chair, or aperson standing or walking in an aisle, to push the end chair away fromthe aisle, so that an aisle can be quickly widened by the conjointaction of a number of people about to leave the auditorium.

Of the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, Figure1 represents a perspective view showing two auditorium chairsconstituting an embodiment of my invention; Fig. 2 represents a Viewsimilar to Fig. 1, showing the end chair displaced behind the adjacentfixed chair; Fig. 3 represents a section on line 33 of Fig. 2; Fig. 1represents a section on line 4.l of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 represents a sectionon line 5-5 of Fig. 3; Fig. 6 represents an enlargement of a portion ofFig. 3; Fig. 7 represents a section on line 77 of Fig. 2; Fig. 8represents a section on llne 88 of Fig. 6; Fig.9 represents aperspective view of the sliding chair separated from the adjacent fixedchair; Fig. 10 represents a view similar to a portion of Fig. 3 andillustrating a modification. Fig. 11 represents a perspective viewshowing another modification.

The same reference characters indicate the same or similar parts in allof the views.

In the drawings 12 represents the fixed back of a fixed chair, saidchair including a seat 13 and supporting members 14 at opp0- site endsof the seat 13, said supporting members being rigidly attached to theback 12 and each including a front leg 15, a back leg 16, and an armrest 17.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 311 1915.

Serial No. 811,847.

vided with rollers 22 forming an anti-frictional guide for the backchair.

The sliding chair is of incomplete construction and is provided at itsouter side with front and back legs 23 and 2 1, there being no front legcorresponding to the leg 23 as clearly shown by Fig. 9. The legs 23, 24are parts of a side frame 25 to which is rigidly attached in anysuitable way a back 26. The inner edge portion of the back 26 isprovided in the embodiment of the invention shown by all the figuresexcepting Fig. 11, with a downwardly projecting leg or runner 27 whichin the preferred embodiment of the invention is provided with a trolley28 adapted to run on the track 19, although, as shown by Fig. 10, saidtrolley may be omitted, the short leg 27 being in sliding contact with atrack 190 substituted for the track 19.

29 represents a folding seat which is hinged to the frame parts of thesliding chair, and, as shown, is mounted to oscillate on a pivot rod 30engaged with the frame member 25 and the short leg or runner 27,

of the sliding the seat being adapted to swing downwardly to itsoperative position shown in Fig. 1, and by dotted lines in Fig. 3, andto be folded upwardly against the back as shown by Fig. 2 and by fulllines in Fig. 3. The frame member 25 is provided on its inner side witha seat-supporting member 31, and the corresponding frame member of thefixed chair is provided with a complemental seat-supporting member 32,said members being adapted to support the seat in its operativeposition.

hen the seat 29 is folded against the back 26, the said back and seatare adapted to move behind the fixed back 12 so that the sliding seatmay be moved inwardly as indicated by Fig. 2, thus increasing thedistance between its outer side and the corresponding seat at theopposite side of an aisle, the sliding chair being at the outer end of arow of chairs, all of which, except the sliding chair, are or may befixed. The upper portion of the back 26 of the sliding chair bears atall times against the outer antifrictional roller 22 and when thesliding back has beeninoved inwardly to a sufficient extent, it bearsagainst each of said antifrictional rollers as indicated by Fig. 4, saidrollers constituting a guide which prevents the sliding back 26 frombeing displaced rearwardly.

33 (Fig. 6) represents a guard which overhangs the track 19 and preventsupward displacement of the trolley 28. Said guard and the track 19 areprovided with flanges bearing against one side of the trolley andpreventing lateral displacement thereof.

As shown by Fig. 5, the track 19 is provided with depressions 34: nearits ends, these being adapted to engage the trolley 28 and yieldinglyresist movement of the trolley from its starting position and thusprevent liability of accidental sliding move ment of the sliding chairin either direction.

35, 35 represent floor tracks which are preferably inserted in groovesformed fortheir reception in the floor of the auditorium, said tracksbeing provided with overhanging guards 36 (Fig. 7 separated by a slotwhich receives a shank 37 attached to each of the legs 23 and 2%. On thelower ends of said shanks are journaled twin trolleys 38 adapted to runon the tracks 35, and prevented from being displaced upw \vardly by theguards 36. The trolleys 38 constitute leg terminals which project underthe guards 36, said terminals and the tracks being thereforeinterengaged to prevent the removal of the terminals from the tracks byan upward movement. The tracks and legs cooperate both in holding thesliding chairs firmly when they are expanded so that the outer ends willnot be liable to be moved forward or backward by pressure against themof people walking in the aisles, and also so that the backs and legs ofthe sliding seats cannot be lifted or swung upwardly by the pressureused in moving the sliding seats inwardly.

The short leg or runner 27 may be extended to form a relatively longrear leg 270, Fig. 11, of the same length as the rear leg 2a, andadapted to bear either on the floor, or on an extension of the track 35which supports the leg 34, the incomplete sliding chair therefore havingthree full length legs, and the back being supported directly by thefloor instead of being supported in part by an elevated track such as19, or 190.

The rear leg 24 and the runner 27, or the equivalent leg 270, are offsetrearwardly from the outer rear leg 16 of the fixed chair,

so that there is sufficient space provided behind the fixed rear leg 16to permit the back 26 and seat 29 of the sliding chair to move behindtherear leg 16 and back 12 of the fixed chair, the rear track 35 beingcorrespondingly located. The folding seat 29 is preferably provided witha reinforcing cross bar 29 which engages the hinge pivot 30 thatconnects it with the rear leg 24: and the leg or runner 27.

, It will be seen that my invention enables the width of the aisles ofan auditorium to be temporarily increased to permit a quick exit of theaudience, without decreasing the normal seating capacity.

The backs 26 of the sliding chairs being attached rigidly to the sideframes 25 may have practically the same supporting area as the adjacentfixed backs 12, so that the sliding chairs are as commodious andcomfortable as thefixed chairs.

1 claim:-

1. The combination with a fixed chair having a. rigid back, of anincomplete chair comprising a side frame having front and back legs, aback rigidly attached at one edge to said side frame, and a folding seatattached to the back, the back of the fixed chair being provided withmeans to slidingly support the free edge of the back of the incompletechair, whereby the seat of the latter may be folded and moved with itsback to the rear of the fixed chair when not in use.

2. The combination with a fixed chair having a rigid back, of anincomplete chair comprising a side frame having front and back legs, aback rigidly attached at one edge to said side frame, and a folding seatattached to the back, the back of the fixed chair being provided withmeans to slidingly support the free edge of the back of the incompletechair, whereby the seat of the latter may be folded and moved with itsback to the rear of the fixed chair when not in use, said fixed chairand said side frame having supporting members to sustain the seat of theincomplete chair when in open position.

3. The combination with a fixed chair having a rigid back, ofanincomplete chair comprising a side frame having front and back legs, aback rigidly attached at one edge to the side frame, and a folding seatattached to the back, and a horizontal track supported by the rear sideof the back of the fixed chair, the free edge of the back of theincomplete chair being provided with a runner movable on said track,whereby the seat of the incomplete chair may be folded and moved withits back to the rear of the fixed chairwhen not in use.

4. The combination with a fixed chair having a rigid back, of anincomplete chair comprising a side frame having front and back legs, aback rigidly attached at one edge to said side frame, and a folding seatattached to the back, the back of the fixed chair being provided withmeans to slidingly support the free edge of the back of the incompletechair, whereby the seat of the lat ter may be folded and moved with itsback to the rear of the fixed chair when not in use, and means engagingthe legs of the side frame to prevent displacement of the outer edge ofthe incomplete chair when in extended relation.

5. The combination with a fixed chair having a rigid back, of anincomplete chair comprising a side frame having front and back legs, aback rigidly attached at one edge to said side frame, and a folding seatattached to the back, the back of the fixed chair being provided withmeans to slidingly support the free edge of the back of the incompletechair, whereby the seat of the latter may be folded and moved with itsback to the rear of the fixed chair when not in use, floor tracksextending outwardly from one side of the fixed chair and pro vided withoverhanging guards, and twin trolleys on the legs of said side frame andheld down by said guards, whereby displacement of the outer edge of theincomplete chair is prevented when in extended relation, and saidincomplete chair is held in proper relation to the fixed chair duringin-- ward movement.

6. A fixed chair having a seat and a fixed back, a fixed substantiallyhorizontal track below and behind the back, and a guard parallel withand overhanging the said track, combined with an incomplete slidingchair comprising a side frame having front and back legs, a backattached thereto and provided with a back-sustaining runner having atrolley movable on said track and held down by said guard, and a foldingseat, the back and seat of the sliding chair being movable behind thefixed back when the seat is folded.

7. A fixed chair having a seat and a fixed back provided at its upperportion with a rearwardly offset guide, combined with an incompletesliding chair comprising a side frame having front and back legs, a backattached thereto and in sliding contact with said offset guide, and afolding seat, the back and seat of the sliding chair being movablebehind the fixed back when the seat is folded, and the sliding backbeing provided with a sustaining member adapted to move on a suitablehorizontal support.

8. The combination with a fixed chair having a rigid back, of anincomplete chair comprising a side frame having front and back legs, aback rigidly attached at one edge to the side frame, and a folding seatattached to the back, and a horizontal track supported by the rear sideof the back of the fixed chair, the free edge of the back of theincomplete chair being provided with a runner movable on said track, thesaid track being provided with means to yieldingly oppose movement ofthe runner from its starting position, and a guard overhanging saidtrack.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature, in presence of twowitnesses.

HENRY V. POLLARD.

Witnesses:

E. BATGHELDER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G."

